Pattern sprinkler



Jan. 17, 1956 J. w. ROTHWEILER PATTERN SPRINKLER Filed June 8, 1953 mm L Wm MR WW L m United States PATTERN SPRINKLER Jack W. Rothweiler, Portland, Greg. Application June 8, 1953, Serial No. 360,236 7 Claims. 01. 299-18) This invention relates generally to sprinklers for projecting water discretely over ground areas for the aerial irrigation of growing vegetation but more particularly to lawn sprinklers having a sprinkling pattern other than round. i i

It is well known that sprinklers of many types and varieties and having various costs and values are every where available for the general purpose of lawn sprinkling and that several of these are purported to have value for sprinkling areas other than round; Of this latter type some are unusually complicated for the purpose at hand and are thus expensive, while others are simple and cheap and only very imperfectly accomplish the desired result. As far as known there has been no previous sprinkler which for a reasonable first cost will accomplish the excellent sprinkling results which are accomplished by the sprinkler of the present inventionpresently described.

While in construction the sprinkler of this invention may be formed to sprinkle an area of nearly any desired pattern the most usual requirement of a sprinkler of this type is adequately to cover a substantially square area and it is in the form of a sprinkler for a square area that my sprinkler is preferably used and will here be considered.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide at a reasonable cost a square sprinkling sprinkler which will be simple and substantial in construction.

To accomplish the above object it is the second object to provide a sprinkler with a simple rotary head adapted to be rotated at a considerable turning rate by the reaction" of the water jets emitted therefrom and thereby sprinkle a circular area in the best possible way with the simplest and most reliable mechanism.

It is then another object to adapt the rotary motion of the head to the additional function of valving individual jets directed at the additional areas desired to be sprinkled outside the periphery of the base or circular area.

It should be repeated that my sprinkler is derived from the conception that to sprinkle a square area of a given length of side it is only necessary to sprinkle a circular area having a diameter of the length of the desired square and then to provide additional means for filling in the corners of the square.

How the above objects are attained in accordance with the foregoing conception is explained in the following description referring to the attached drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my sprinkler.

Fig. 2 is a view of my sprinkler in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the rotary head of the sprinkler of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig.6 is a fragmentary sectional view along either of the lines 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 7 -7 of Fig. 5.

- brazing, to ring upper end of the stationary stem of the sprinkler of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view along the line 12-12 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view along the line 1313 of Fig. 11.

Similar numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing my sprinkler is shown as having a main stem 20 supported in an upright position on a horizontal base ring 21 by three equally spaced upwardly inclined spokes 22 each secured at one end, as by 21 and at the other end to stem 20.

Stem 20 as indicated by the dash lines .in Fig. 2 is a hollow tube closed at its bottom end and, as shown in Fig. 11 is reduced in outside diameter at its top end to form a cylindrical bearing surface 23 and a vertical bearing surface 24 for the rotary head 25 which after asesmbly in place on bearing surfaces 23 and 24 of stem 20 is rotatably secured thereon by head retaining cap screw 26 the threaded shank of which is screwed into the internally threaded upper end of stem 20 until the under side of the head of cap screw 26 abuts the flat upper end surface of stem 20.

A water hose connection generally at 27 is secured, as communicates with the hollow interior of stem 20. As shown dotted in Figs. 3 and 5 a horizontal annular water channel 28 is for med around the interior of rotary head 25' at the elevation, when assembled, of radial holes 29 through stem 20. Water supplied under pressure to the interior of stem 20 by a hose, not shown, attached to hose connection 27 will therefore pass through holes 29 and keep channel 23 supplied with water under pressure at all times.

In rotary head 25 the lower row of holes shown as six in number, and numbered 6-11, 6b, '7-a, 8-12, 9-1:, and 10-a, are formed outwardly through the wall of rotary head 25 from water channel 28. Therefore water will jet from these holes continuously when the water source to the sprinkler is turned on.

It should be particularly noted as shown in Figs. 6 to 10, incl. that holes 6a and 6-5 are directed at an elevation of about 35, hole 7-a at an elevation of about 30, hole 8-a at an elevation of about 20 hole a at an elevation of about 10 and hole ill-a at an elevation of about 5 so that water from these holes will strike the ground at desired distance from the stem.

It should further be noted as shown in Fig. 5 that while the center lines of holes 6-11 and 6-b lie in vertical planes which include the vertical axis of stem 20, the center lines of holes 7-a to 10-11 inclusive, lie in vertical planes which are tangent to a circle of substantial radius about the axis of stem 24). Holes 7-a to Ill-a inclusive therefore form reaction jet nozzles which cause rotary head 25 to spin in a clockwise direction when viewed as in Fig. 5.

Therefore when there is water pressure applied to my sprinkler, water will be continuously emitted by holes 6-a to 10-a in rotary head 25, head 25 will rotate at a conslderable speed, and a circular area of ground around the'sprinkler, limited by the water pressure and the size of the equipment, will be completely sprinkled.

But it is the purpose of this invention to provide a of common type indicated by brazing, to stem 29 and sprinkler for sprinkling a square area and therefore to provide means to additionally sprinkle the corner areas beyond the periphery of the circular area. This I have accomplished very simply by providing the four equally spaced holes 30 through the upper end ofstem as shown in Figs. 11 and 13, and then providing at the same internal elevation in rotary head a series of holes 31 each of which will cyclically uncover and cover in sequence the four holes in stem 20. Holes 31 are similarly formed and equally spaced about head 25 with their center lines at an elevation of about so that the water emitted therefrom will be thrownbeyond the circle sprinkled by water from holes 6-a to 10-11. Because of the rotation of head 25 and the gradual covering and uncovering of holes 30 the streams of water from holes 31 do not each take a single sharp direction but rather do they cause a substantially complete and satisfactory filling in of the corners of the square area to be sprinkled. I have found it desirable to chamfer the upper outer corner of rotary head 25 at an angle perpendicular to the center lines of holes 31.

It is understood that following the teaching ofmy herein disclosure, many variations of the mechanism of my disclosure are capable of construction and satisfactory use for specific uses. For instance the additional areas to be sprinkled beyond the basic circular area can be varied by varying any or all of the specified number of holes 30, the size of holes 30 and 31, or the angularity of holes 31.

Again ifit were desired tosprinkle a basic area limited to a section of my basic circle it would only be necessary to omit the water channel 28 from the interior of the rotary head of my sprinkler and, adjacent to the area of the head from which the channel was removed, to provide a single slot throughstem 20 instead of the holes 29. If the arc of the slot had the angular length of the arc of the desired area to be sprinkled my sprinkler head would rotate as above explained and the desired sector of my basic circle would be sprinkled. Further, as above noted, by providing holes 30 of the required number, size, and angularity, any shaped area or areas outside my basic circle could be sprinkled.

Having thus recited some of the objects of my invention illustrated and described a preferred form of my invention, and explained the operation thereof, I claim:

1. A lawn sprinkler comprising a hollow stem adapted to be supplied with water under pressure, a hollow single walled rotary sprinkler head rotatably secured to said stem to have a close running fit with a cylindrical surface thereof, said stern and said head having water channels formed through the walls thereof, all of said channels terminating at said cylindrical surface, certain of said channels in said stem and said head being adapted to cooperate to pass water from said stern and sprinkle a predetermined circular area and to rotate said head, and certain other of said channels in said stern and said head being adapted to cooperate to pass water from said stem and sprinkle a predetermined area outside said circular area. I

"2. A lawn sprinkler comprising a hollow vertical stem adapted to be supplied with water under pressure, a one-piece sprinkler head rotatably secured to said stem, said head being adapted to rotate about a vertical cylindrical surface of said stem and to have a close running fit therewith, said stem and said head being formed with water channels formed through the walls thereof, all of said channels terminating at the adjacent running cylindrical surfaces of said stem and said head, certain of said channels in said stem and said head being adapted to cooperate to pass water outwardly through the walls of said stern and said head to sprinkle a predetermined circular area about said stern and to rotate said head, and other of said channels in said stern and said head being adapted to cooperate to pass water outwardly through the walls of said stem and said head and sprinkle a predetermined area not included in said circular area. 3. A lawn sprinkler comprising a hollow vertical stem adapted to be supplied with water under pressure, a onepiece sprinkler head rotatably secured. to said stem and having a close running fit with a vertical cylindrical surface formed on said stem, the wall of said stern within the vertical limits of said vertical cylindrical surface having a first hole therethrough at a first elevation and a second hole therethrough at a second elevation, the running surface of said head having a horizontal annular water channel sunk therein at said first elevation whereby water under pressure from said stem will pass said first hole and maintain said channel filled with water under pressure, the wall of said head having a first hole formed outwardly therethrou'gh from said channel to the exteriorof said head to pass water under pressure through said head, said r latter hole being angularly positioned in said head to cause said head to rotate as said water under pressure is emitted therefrom and to sprinkle a circular area about said stem, the wall of said head having a second hole formed outwardly therethrough at said second elevation, whereby as said head is rotated by the emission of water under pressure from said first hole therein said second hole therein will cyclicly pass water under pressure from said second hole in said stem and through said head to sprinkle an additional area.

4. A lawn sprinkler comprising a hollow vertical stem adapted to be supplied with water under pressure, a onepiece sprinkler head rotatably secured to said stern and having a close running fit with a vertical cylindrical surface thereof, the wall of said stern within the vertical limits of said vertical cylindrical surface having a first hole therethrough at a first elevation and a second hole therethrough at a second elevation, the wall of said head having a first hole formed outwardly therethrough from adjacent said cylindrical surface at said first elevation and a second hole formed outwardly therethrough from adjacent said cylindrical surface at said second elevation, said first holes being adapted to cooperate to receive water under pressure from the interior of said stern and emit said water in a predetermined pattern from the outer surface of said head in a manner adapted to rotate said head, and said second holes being adapted to cooperate to receive water under pressure from the. interior of said stem and emit said water from the outer surface of said head in a predetermined pattern.

5. A lawn sprinkler comprising a hollow vertical stem adapted to receive water under pressure to the interior thereof, said stern being formed with a cylindrical outer surface, and a hollow sprinkler head formed with a vertical cylindrical inner surface, said sprinkler head being rotatably secured at a fixed elevation on said stem with said cylindrical inner surface adjacent said cylindrical outer surface of said stem, said stem and said head being formed cooperatively at a first elevation with an arcuate water channel interrupting one of said cylindrical surfaces, said water channel communicating with the interior of said stem, said head having a first .headpwater conduit formed through the wall thereof connecting said'water channel with the exterior of said head, said first head water conduit being angularly positioned in said head to cause said head to be rotated by the jet reaction of water therefrom, said stern having a stem water conduit formed through the wall thereof at a second elevation, and said head having a second head water conduit formed through the wall thereof at said second elevation whereby as I said head is rotated by the reaction of water emitted at said first elevation water will be intermittently emitted from said head in a pre-determined direction at said second elevation.

6. A lawn sprinkler comprising a hollow vertical stem; adapted to receive water under pressure to the. interior thereof, said stern being formed with a cylindrical outer surface, and a hollow sprinkler head formed with a cylindrical inner surface, said sprinkler head being formed as a rigid unitary structure rotatably secured at a fixed elevation on said stem with said cylindrical inner surface adjacent said cylindrical outer surface, said stem and said head being formed with water conduits through the Walls thereof, some of said conduits being adapted continuously to conduct water through said walls to cause said head continuously to be rotated by the jet reaction of said water emitted outwardly from said head to sprinkle a circular area and others of said conduits in said stem and said head being adapted as said head is rotated to emit Water intermittently from said head to sprinkle a pre-determined area of another shape.

7. A lawn sprinkler comprising a hollow vertical stem adapted to receive water under pressure to the interior thereof below the upper end of said stem, a hollow sprinkler head enclosing said upper end of said stern and rotatably secured thereon, said head forming a rigid unitary structure, an outer surface of said stem forming a bearing surface on which an inner surface of said head is adapted to rotate, a first water conduit formed through said head from between said stern and said head to the outside of said head, said first water conduit terminating in a jet orifice adapted by the reaction of water emitted therefrom to rotate said head on said stern and sprinkle a circular area, a second water conduit formed through said stem from the interior thereof to the inner end of said first water conduit, a third water conduit formed through said head from between said stem and said head to the outside of said head and a fouith water conduit formed through said stem intermittently to communicate with the inner end of said third water conduit as said head is rotated on said stern.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,831,540 Nelson Nov. 10, 1931 1,976,030 Lighthall Oct. 9, 1934 2,459,244 Sellars Jan. 18, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 555,810 France -a Mar. 31, 1923 

